BMW SERIE 5 SPORT WAGON 2004 Owner's Manual page 176

even when only small amounts of water are
present on the road surface.
As winter tires display a noticeable loss in
their ability to cope with cold-weather driv-
ing conditions once the tread wears to
below 0.16 in/4 mm, to ensure continued
safety you should always have such tires
replaced.
Wear indicators at the tread-groove base,
refer to arrow, are distributed over the tire's
circumference and are marked on the side
of the tire with TWI – Tread Wear Indicator.
These indicators signal at a tread depth of
0.063 in/1.6 mm that the legal wear limit
has been reached.
Tire damage
Unusual vibrations encountered dur-
ing normal vehicle operation can indi-
cate tire failure or some other vehicle
defect. This can, for example, be caused by
driving over curbs. These kinds of prob-
lems may also be signaled by other
changes in vehicle response, such as a
strong tendency to pull to the left or right.
Should this occur, respond by immediately
reducing your speed. Carefully proceed –
or have your vehicle towed – to the nearest
BMW center or tire dealer to have the
wheels or tires inspected. Tire damage,
extending to sudden and complete loss of
pressure in extreme cases, can pose a
potentially lethal safety hazard for the vehi-
cle's occupants and other road users
alike.<
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Replacing wheels/tires
Unprofessional attempts by laymen to
service tires can lead to damage and
accidents. Have this work performed by
skilled professionals only. The technicians
at your BMW center will be glad to assist
you with the required professional knowl-
edge and specialized
The correct combination of wheels and
tires is another vital factor in ensuring reli-
able operation of various vehicle systems
such as ABS and DSC.
Have the wheel and tire assemblies bal-
anced every time either a wheel or a tire is
replaced.
BMW does not recommend the use of
retreaded tires, as otherwise driving
safety may be reduced. Possible variations
in the design and the age – which could be
substantial – of the carcasses can lead to
unusually rapid wear.<
The right wheels and tires
BMW recommends that you use only
wheel and tire combinations that
BMW has tested and approved for your
particular vehicle. Variations in factors such
as manufacturing tolerances mean that
even wheels and tires with identical official
size ratings could actually have different
dimensions than the approved units – these
differences could lead to body contact, and
with it the risk of severe accidents. If non-
approved wheels and tires are used, BMW
cannot evaluate their suitability, and there-
fore cannot be held liable for driving
safety.<
To maintain good handling and vehicle
response, use only tires of a single tread
configuration from a single manufacturer.
After a flat tire, always remember to have
the specified wheel and tire combination
remounted on the vehicle as soon as pos-
sible.
Recommended tire brands
BMW tests certain tire brands for each tire
size, classifies them as road-safe and
equipment.<